Advancing and Integrating Climate and Health Policies

Based on 225 interviews with high-level stakeholders, the report finds that while climate and health policies are currently largely siloed across the six studied regions, there is a strong consensus that further integration is necessary to maximize co-benefits and address complex challenges. Common barriers include funding shortages, data gaps, and institutional silos, while opportunities include upcoming policy deliberations and rising public awareness. The report suggests strategies such as adopting 'health in all policies' approaches, increasing the use of scientific evidence, and enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration.

• Stakeholders across all six regions generally perceive that climate and health policies are not well integrated, often existing in separate government silos, although there is a perceived trend toward greater integration over time.
• There is a strong consensus among participants that integrating climate and health policy would be beneficial to avoid duplication of work, prevent conflicting priorities, and maximize co-benefits.
• Significant barriers to policy integration include resource scarcities—specifically funding, data, and skilled personnel—as well as institutional challenges like bureaucracy and the disruptive effect of administration changes.
• Cultural and political barriers include low public awareness of climate-related health harms, political polarization, and the influence of vested interests, particularly fossil fuel interests.
• Opportunities for advancing integration include upcoming national and international policy deliberations, such as the UNFCCC COP meetings, and the establishment of new health-focused institutions.
• Recommended strategies for integration include adopting 'health in all policies' and 'climate in all policies' frameworks, increasing the use of scientific evidence, and utilizing participatory approaches like citizens' councils.
• Effective communication strategies to boost support for climate-health policy include framing climate change as a health issue, using quantitative data to describe impacts, and employing trusted messengers like health professionals.
• The report identifies several regional success stories, such as Brazil's river hospital boats, Guyana's solar-powered telehealth facilities, and the UK's Greener NHS program.

APA

Ettinger, J., Fine, J., Gepp, S., Gordon-Strachan, G., Howarth, C., Mulwa, R., Prabhakaran, P., Rayner, T., Saraiva, A., van de Pas, R., Baltruks, D., Ghosh, S., Graham, J., Greaves, N., Jharia, I., Kigundu, K., Maharaj, S., McFarlane, S., Mirow, J., ... Maibach, E. (2025). Advancing and Integrating Climate and Health Policies. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Integrating-climate-and-health-GMU-and-GCHA.pdf

Chicago

Ettinger, J., J. Fine, S. Gepp, G. Gordon-Strachan, C. Howarth, R. Mulwa, P. Prabhakaran, et al. Advancing and Integrating Climate and Health Policies. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2025. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Integrating-climate-and-health-GMU-and-GCHA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ettinger |first1=J. |last2=Fine |first2=J. |last3=Gepp |first3=S. |last4=Gordon-Strachan |first4=G. |last5=Howarth |first5=C. |last6=Mulwa |first6=R. |last7=Prabhakaran |first7=P. |last8=Rayner |first8=T. |last9=Saraiva |first9=A. |display-authors=etal |title=Advancing and Integrating Climate and Health Policies |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=2025 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Integrating-climate-and-health-GMU-and-GCHA.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ettinger2025advancing, author = {Ettinger, J. and Fine, J. and Gepp, S. and Gordon-Strachan, G. and Howarth, C. and Mulwa, R. and Prabhakaran, P. and Rayner, T. and Saraiva, A. and van de Pas, R. and Baltruks, D. and Ghosh, S. and Graham, J. and Greaves, N. and Jharia, I. and Kigundu, K. and Maharaj, S. and McFarlane, S. and Mirow, J. and Murphy, M. and Musembi, E. and Nyukuri, E. and Raju, B. J. and Sievert, G. and Smith, E. and Vianna, D. and Voss, M. and Zimermann, P. and Miller, J. and Mildenberger, M. and Leiserowitz, A. and Kotcher, J. and Maibach, E.}, title = {{Advancing and Integrating Climate and Health Policies}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2025}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Integrating-climate-and-health-GMU-and-GCHA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }